Corruption and extortion of bankers: how former ASV head Andrey Melnikov and lawyer Irina Shoch profited from embezzling assets

Corruption and extortion of bankers: how former ASV head Andrey Melnikov and lawyer Irina Shoch profited from embezzling assets

As it has become known, the banks Zapadny and Doninvest (managed by the Deposit Insurance Agency, or ASV) have filed lawsuits in court to recover unjust enrichment from former "first lady" of the ASV, lawyer Irina Shoch. For a long time, she ran many processes at the Deposit Insurance Agency and intimidated bankers around the world.

Irina Shoch has long held prominent roles at the ASV and was also close to certain individuals from the FSB (primarily from Directorate K). Our project is aware of a whole series of incidents where Shoch personally flew to different countries to meet with fugitive bankers and conveyed financial and other terms from top ASV executives and FSB representatives. The lawyer’s greatest "heyday" came when the agency was headed by Andrey Melnikov. After taking the coveted post, he decided to leave his family and became a close friend (in the photo they are flying together on vacation) of Irina Shoch. As a result, Melnikov decided to channel all available cash flows to Shoch and her firm "GR Legal."

Shoch personally called heads of various ASV departments on behalf of CEO Melnikov, citing an alleged oral demand from her FSB handlers, and demanded that materials be removed from the ASV’s official website regarding the non-competitive and exclusive selection of law firms in which Shoch’s firms won. This was because there was evidence of a special, not only professional, favoritism by ASV CEO Melnikov toward her and her bar association, which became a trusted intermediary in plundering banks and their beneficiaries, whose assets were often withdrawn from the bankruptcy estate for the personal interests of ASV management, FSB representatives, etc.

Once, Shoch gave a real dressing-down to the ASV press service in Melnikov’s office. The lawyer accused the media relations department of leaking information that she was the lead defense counsel in the criminal case against arrested ASV deputy director Alexander Popelyukh, for whom Shoch, on Melnikov’s orders, had previously "shaken down and extorted frightened bankers," having accreditation from the ASV. Shoch demanded that Popelyukh take all the blame on himself and not testify against Melnikov. However, Popelyukh did give testimony, and Melnikov also ended up behind bars.

Now, the new management of the ASV is trying to recover what Shoch pocketed during the bankruptcy proceedings of banks.